Sheet-feeding control means



May 17 1927. c. 1.. PosT SHEET FEEDING CONTROL MEANS a Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1923 Ma l 1927.

y c. 1.. POST SHEET FEEDING CONTROL MEANS Filed March 24, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 My? 726' 6 65 I May 17,1927. 1,629,118

C. L. POST SHEET FEEDING CONTROL MEANS Filed March 24, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet3 parts,

Patented. May 17, 1927. v

UNITED STATES l,629,l1 8 PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE L. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING conrnor. means. I

Application filed March 24, 1923. Serial No. 627,455.

. vide means for rendering the drive inoperative whenever the means for preventing contact between the type and the platen 1s actuated.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obviousto those skilled in the artfrom the disclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the.

novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my device as applied to a printing press;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the press;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation showing the means for controlling the drive shaft of the printing press;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the platen and type rolls, showing the means for preventing contact therebetween and for releasing the drive when there is no envelope passing between the rolls;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a-sectional v ew taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. .7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on line 77 of Fig. 5.

In the preferred form of construction, as shown in the drawings, I have illustrated the device as used in connection with a press for feeding envelopes from a magazine, conveying them between apair of printing rolls and thence discharging them in a ile at the rear end of the press. It is to e understood, however, that my device is not limited to use for envelopes, but itmay be used for feeding any other similar objects or materials, such as sheets or the like therethrough. i

1 represents a supporting frame for the printing mechanism, the same being adapted to be suitably supported by or mounted upon .a cooperating structure or table so that it will be of theright height for most-efiicient operation. In this device, the envelopes are retained in a magazine or the like, .and are automatically fed successively," one at a timethrough printing rolls and are then automatically discharged and stacked'up for removal. I

The printing rolls comprise a pair of rolls 2 and 3 respectively, the former being the type roll and the latter the platen roll, and

through which the envelopes or sheets must pass to be imprinted. These rolls are driven positively in unison through any form of gearing, or the like, and in any desired manner, 21 indicating the shaft upon which the type roll is mounted, both of said rolls rom tating at the same rate of speed. It is to be noted, however, that, theplaten roll 3 has the ends ofits shaft. 4 mounted in eccentrically bored bushings 5, as shown more clearly in Figsf l and-5 of the drawings,

for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

The magazine 6 for holdingthe envelopes is preferably removably arranged on the frame at a distance from the printing rolls and the envelopes are automatically fed successively through the printing rolls in any desired manner.

In order that the type roll and'the platen roll shall not come together whenever there 9:

is no envelope being fed therethrough, the shaft 4 is mounted in eccentric bushings 5, as has been heretofore-described. Connected to one of the bushings is a lever 7, so that when the lever is rocked or pivoted, the '100 bushing will be oscillated to lower the rota-- tional axis of the shaft 4 and thus separate the rolls 2 and 3. I

A gear segment 8 is operatively connected to the lever 7 and is adapted to mesh with a pinion 9 of a shaft 10 mounted at both the sides of the frame, the other end of the shaft 10 (not shown) having a pinion there'-. on similar-to the pinion 9 and'intermeshing with a gearsegment similar to segment 8,

the latter being rigidly connected to an eccentric bushing at the other end of, the

longitudinally thereof, said cam being of such a contour that it will actuate the lever 7 onlywhen rotating in the same plane therewith. Anabutment or stationary cam 12 is carried on the frame 1 to engage the rotary cam 11 and to retrieve said cam to -a position out of registry with the lever 7,

--but guiding said cam into. registry there- 7 Fig. 6: The arm 18 is mounted so as to be.

I cam 11 again engaging the cam 12, the latwith whenever said cam is slid longitudinally of the shaft of the type roll (to the right). A coiled spring 13 is interposed between the rotary cam 11 and the adjacent end of the type roll, the same constantly urging said rotary cam (to the right) into operative engagement with the lever 7. I

In order to permit the spring 13 to operate only at such time as when there is no envelope being fed between the printing rolls, a pin 14 having an enlarged head 15 at its end, is rigidly carried by the cam 11 and projects inwardly of 'the inner side thereof, said enlarged head having a pair of substantially parallel bevelled surfaces'at its sides for a purpose to be more clearly hereinafter described.

A rocker shaft-.16 is mounted within the roll 2, the same having at one end a fork member 17 whose prongs are bevelled at their inner opposed surfaces to correspond with the bevelled sides of the "enlarged head 15 of the pin 14,said shaft 16 carrying a lever arm 18 at its other end, as shown in movable inwardly below the envelope-contacting surface of the roll 2, and to be moved to project outwardly therebeyond whenever there is no envelope being fed between the rolls. tioned at some suitable point, as for instance at the fork 17 in order to normally urge the fork outwardly, if so desired, although gen-I erally the centrifugal force will of itself be sufiicient to urge the fork outwardly. v

The operation of the means for separat-, ing the printing rolls is as follows:

The parts being in the position shown in full lines, let us assume that there is no envelope in readiness for insertion between the printing rolls. The spring 13 constantly presses the rotary cam 11 toward the stationary cam 12, said cam 11 being free to move toward the right because the enlarged hea'd 15 of the pin 14 is in position to permit such sliding movement through the fork (see Fig. 4). The continued rotation of-the cam 11 will cause it to slide off thecam 12 and move into the plane-of the rocker arm 7, engaging said armor lever andactuating it to cause the separation of the rolls, the

A spring 19 may be posi .of registry with the arm 7 (see F i 4),and

the parts all resuming their fulline position shown in the drawings, after each separation of the rolls. A spring 20 may be positioned to-engage the rocker arm 7 to return it to its normal position after its actuation thereof. As soon as an envelope is in position for insertion between the rolls, the arm 18 will strike said envelope and move inwardlyv (see Fig. 6),.thereby rockingthe part 17 to interlock it with the pin 14, as shown in dotted-line position'in Fig, 7, so as to prevent the spring 13 from sliding the cam 11 to the right. Thus ineach rotationof the printing rolls the parts assume the full-line positions "shown in the figures of the drawings, so that the cam 11 will be movedto the right in case there is no envelope between. the rolls, or that the arm 18 will be pressed: inwardly to lock the cam 11 against movement in case there is an envelope in position for feeding.

In addition to the means for separating the printing rolls whenever there is no envelope being fed therethrough, I have provided means for cutting off the drive for the mechanism at such times. A drive shaft is provided which has a driving connection with the shaft 21 of the printing roll 2 as shown in Figure 4. On this shaft there is a drive wheel'22,.in the present-instance this wheel being frictionally driven by means of a friction wheel 23, normally in contact therewith. The wheel 22 is keyed to the shaft 21 and it is obvious that the rotation of the driving-wheel 23, when in frictional contact with the wheel 22, will cause rotation of the drive-shaft 21.

A spring 24 maybe interposed between the wheel 22 and the end of thershaft to releasably urge the driving means in opera-' tive engagen'ient A bracket 26 is carried. by the frame, either integral therewith or as a separate part, and having a bore through which the shaft 21 extends; The rock-shaft 10 has a rocker-arm, or crank, 27 at its end, the same formed'with an elongated opening or slot 28 therethrough. A lever 29 is "revolubly mounted on the drive-shaft 21, in

termediate the drive-wheel 22 and the bracket 26 and forming an end-bearing-for said drive-wheel. A radial projection 30 is formed at the upper end of the lever 20 and a corresponding recess 31 is formed in the opposed surface of the stationary bracket26, as shown, so that when the projection 30 is seated in the recess 31, the friction disk 22 will be in operative engagement with the friction driving-wheel 23, tlie spring 24- tending to ment.

It is obvious that if the lever 29 is rocked aboutthe shaft 21, the projection 30 will become unseated from the recess 31, causing keep the parts in such engagethe leverto move laterally of the shaft axis (to the right) to movethe friction-disk 22, against spring pressure of the spring 24,

out of engagement with the driving-wheeltated to separate the printing rolls, the

shaft 10 is rocked in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1,- whereby the lever 29 is correspondingly rocked about the shaft 21 and is moved laterally to release the driving-wheels 22 and. 23 from engageiii separating means.

ment. As soon as the shaft 10 resumes its normal position, the lever 29 will again seatin the groove 31, the spring 24 tending to hold it in place.

Having thus described my invention, itis obvious that 'various immaterial modificaai tions may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention;

- hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z 1. In combination with a, pair of rolls, means for separating said rolls, a cam rotatably actuated by one of said rolls and engageableto actuate said separating means whenever there is no material being fed throu h the rolls, means carried by said roll and controlled by the material being fed-through the rolls for operating said rotatable cam, and a stationary cam engageable with said rotary cam for retrieving it from engagement with said first-mentioned 7 material being fed between the rolls.

3. In combination with a pair of rolls, a rotatable cam slidable longitudinally of one of said-rolls and driven thereby, means for separating said rolls and including a rocker arm adapted to be actuated by said, cam to effect the actuation thereof, a 'stationary cam for retrievin said rotatable cam from its rocker operating position, a spring for urging said rotatable cam into operative position, a member carried by and projecting from said rotatable cam, and a member carried by said roll to overlie said last-mentioned projecting member and interlock therewith to normallypreventthe sliding I movement of said rotatable cam, but permitting said movement when there is no material passing between the rolls. 4. In a device of the kind described and in combination, a pair of rolls, one ofsaid rolls having a cam rotatably driven thereby and slidable axially thereof, means for separating said rolls including a rocker arm adapted to be engaged by said cam, a sta- J tionary cam engaging said rotary cam to permit it to be moved into or out of operative engagement with said rocker arm, a spring for urging said rotatable cam into its operative position, a pin projecting from said rotatable cam and having an enlarged head, and a fork member carried by said roll to overlie said enlarged head and interlock with said pin to normally prevent the sliding of said rotary cam when material is being fed between the rolls, but automatically operative to permit said sliding whenever there is no material passing .therethrough.

5. In a device of the kind described and in combination, a pair of rolls, a lever pivotally carried thereby and engageable with the sheets passing between said rolls, a fork operatively connected to said lever, a rotary cam driven by and slidable longitudinally m of one of said rolls and provided with a pin thereon having an enlarged head interengageable with said fork to normally prevent longitudinal movement of the cam, a spring pressing said cam longitudinally, m5 roll-separating means including a rocker lever operatively engageable with said cam at its outward limit of longitudinal move ment, and means engageable with said cam to guide it'out of its operative position.

6. In combination with a pair of rolls adapted to have material fed therethrough, a drive-shaft operatively connected with one of said rolls, a drive-wheel on said driveshaft, a second wheel drivinglyengageable with said drive-wheel, means for resiliently holding said wheels in operative enga ement, and means automatically opera le when there is no material being fed therethrough to release said wheels from such 'en-- gagement. 1 r

7. In a device of the kind described and in combination, a pair of rolls, a drive-shaft operatively connected with one of said rolls, a drive-wheel carried on said shaft, a second drive-wheel drivingly enga cable with said first-mentioned drive-whee, means resilienty holding said wheels in engagement, means for separating said rolls when there is no material being fed therethrough, and 1 0 means operable by said last-mentioned means to move said drive means apart when said last-mentioned means is actuated.

8. In combination with a pair of rolls adapted to have material fed therethrough, a drive-wheel drivingly connected to said rolls, avsecond drive-wheel operably engageable with said drive-wheel, means for separating said rolls whenever there is no material being fed therethrongh, and a lever automatically actuated by said last-mew tioned means to shift said drive wheels out of engagement.

9. In combination with a pair of IOllS5 a drive-shaft operatively connected with one of said rolls and having a drive-wheel slidably mounted thereon, a second drive-wheel operatively engageable with'said first-mentioneddrive-wheel, means for normally keeping said drive-wheels in engagement, means for separating said wheels when there is no material being fed therethrough.

and means operable by said last-mentioned means for shifting said first-mentioned drive wheel laterally ofsaid shaft to release it from driving engagement with ,the other said rolls, a friction-wheel carried by said" shaft a second wheel operably engageable with said first-mentioned wheel to transmit drive therebetween, a rock-shaft, a lever having one end engageable with said rockshaft and actuated thereby, the other end adapted to be positioned intermediate said tirsbmentioned drive-wheel and a stationary part, and an engaging lug and recess between said last-mentioned end of the lever and said stationary part, whereby when said lever is rocked by said rock-shaft it will bemoved out of engagement at said lug and recess and be shifted laterally to move said first-mentioned friction-wheel out of engagement with the second wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CLAUDE L. POST. 

